Nightwatch

by Valerie Hansen

  “Cool.” Tim was grinning so widely his ears wiggled. Paul mirrored the expression.

  “I always thought so,” Mitch said with a complimentary grin. “Maybe you can join the fire department and help people when you grow up.”

  Tim shook his head. “Uh-uh. I’m gonna be a cop so I can find lost kids like Megan.”

  “Good for you.” Mitch’s gaze met Jill’s and lingered. “The best way to get ready for that is to study hard and get really smart. That’s why I agree with Miss Jill and the judge. You boys need to go back to school.”

  “Awwww…” This time, Tim was anything but overjoyed. Paul looked as if he was about to cry.

  “I loved school,” Jill piped up. “It was fun.”

  Mitch began to chuckle. “Well, it is a necessity if a person wants to make a good living.” He winked at Tim. “Otherwise, how are you going to afford to buy all the pizza you want?”

  “With sausage and pepperoni!” the boy said excitedly.

  “See?” Mitch said, escorting Jill and the children the rest of the way into the station house by a side door. “Mention food and a hungry guy will forget everything else.”

  “Does that work for full-grown men like you?” she asked, meeting his glance with obvious empathy.

  Mitch shook his head and answered directly from his heart. “Not always.” His smile waned. “Not this time.”

  Jill dropped the boys off at school the following morning, walked each of them to class, spoke with their respective teachers and showed them the court order so there would be no misunderstanding about who was—and was not—authorized to pick up the children. She doubted that Natalie would try to interfere again, given the judge’s admonition, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

  Instead of heading straight home, she then swung by the fire station. There was nothing new to tell Mitch. She simply wanted to see him, to feel the full force of his emotional support. Since he had to bunk at the station when he was on duty, he hadn’t joined them for meals lately, except when they’d shared the pizza. His absence had really pointed up how much he had been contributing to the upbeat atmosphere at home, not to mention giving the boys fatherly advice.

  Before entering Mitch’s office she paused long enough to smooth her jeans and adjust her jacket over the soft, blue sweater she’d worn, knowing he liked that color.

  He jumped to his feet the moment she peeked through the doorway. “Are the boys okay?”

  Jill smiled. “Relax. They’re fine. I just dropped them off at school.”

  He sank back into his chair as if he were a deflating balloon. “Thank goodness. When I saw you I thought…”

  “I’m sorry. I should have phoned before dropping in. I just thought it would be nice to talk to an adult for a change.”

  “Kids getting to you?”

  Jill shrugged, continuing to smile. “Not really. But I hate to go home when I feel like I should be taking some kind of action. I can’t sit around twiddling my thumbs while Megan is still missing.”

  “I know what you mean.” He gathered a stack of papers, evened the edges by rapping them on the desktop, then dropped the pile into a drawer. “So, where shall we go first?”

  “Go? I thought you had to work?”

  “I’ve made arrangements for a more flexible schedule for the next week or so.” He chuckled wryly. “I already owe the other firefighters so many favors I’ll be an old man before I can pay them all back.”

  “If you’re really serious about leaving, then let’s go see Harlan. I’ve tried phoning him but he refuses to tell me a thing. They must have some leads, some idea of where to look. If you and I did a little snooping around, what could it hurt?”

  “Maybe plenty.” Mitch got to his feet and donned the navy blue baseball-style cap and zippered jacket that were part of his everyday uniform. “Still, it won’t hurt to ask him. Last I heard he was waiting for test results from Little Rock.”

  “You mean about the bomb?”

  “Yes. We can’t go poking around in the actual fire scene, but nothing says we can’t at least take a look at the other buildings. Since they’ve allowed Thad to go back to work, that part of the plant should be accessible to anybody.”

  “I don’t know what we could possibly hope to discover that all those police investigators missed.”

  Mitch arched his brows. “Did you come here to argue or do you want to find something useful to do?”

  “Useful, yes. Useless, no,” Jill countered. “I can waste my time at home, by myself.” Realizing how ungrateful that sounded she blushed and waved her hands in front of her as if erasing a chalkboard. “Sorry. Forget I said that. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I wasn’t implying that being with you is a waste of time.”

  “I understand. You’re as worried as I am and it’s made you edgy.” He opened and held the office door for her. “After you, Ms. Kirkpatrick. Shall we take my truck or your car?”

  “My poor old Jeep rides pretty rough, as you well know. Let’s splurge and take your truck.”

  “Harlan’s office first?”

  “Absolutely,” she said, following Mitch through the station and waiting while he explained to his chief that he’d be gone for an hour or so on personal business. Judging by the knowing glance Longstreet sent her way, Mitch had briefed him fully. She didn’t mind. Her only concern was making sure that the powers that be didn’t assume she was carrying on with the handsome fireman while the children were housed with her, because that might cause them to be removed on moral grounds.

  Ha! Jill thought, feeling foolish and more than a bit cynical. There was less personal involvement between her and Mitch Andrews now than there had been before this whole tangle of events had begun.

  He had continued sleeping in the boys’ room when he could be there and had spent his off-duty, daylight hours doing odd jobs around the farm, such as installing the new burglar alarm and outside lighting. That was pretty much the extent of their interaction. She got more TLC from Mugsy than she did from Mitch Andrews.

  She also gave the dog more affection, she realized with a start. Well, so what? Mugsy didn’t keep telling her what to do and what not to do. Knowing that Mitch had her best interests at heart wasn’t enough to make his overbearing approach acceptable. Yes, she appreciated his help. And, yes, she wanted him there to help protect the children. But she wasn’t willing to let herself be bossed around by a stubborn control freak.

  That conclusion struck Jill as funny. She and Mitch were a lot alike, weren’t they? They each had definite ideas of how things should be done and were both positive their way was best.

  Sobering, she thought of Megan. In this case, she’d force herself to make any sacrifices necessary to find that little lost girl. It didn’t matter whose ideas were right. All she cared about was success.

  Letting herself dwell on the wisdom of submission—or at least full cooperation—as she walked with Mitch to his truck, Jill sighed. Nothing must distract either of them from their ultimate goal. Absolutely nothing.

  Her cheeks suddenly warmed. Not even the overwhelming sense of his closeness or the way I react to the accidental touch of his hand or brush of his sleeve? she asked herself.

  No. Especially not something like that.

  Jill knew it wasn’t enough to simply admonish herself; she must mean it from the depths of her heart. And she did. Only the more time she spent with Mitch, the more she wanted to spend and the greater her desire grew to know he was nearby.

  Fear had to be the underlying motive, she reasoned. Her home had been violated, more than once, and she was reacting by reaching out to him for security.

  Okay. If that assumption was true, then why didn’t she yearn to see Harlan or Boyd? And why hadn’t she relaxed after Mitch had installed the alarm, complete with motion sensors to light up her yard if anyone came prowling around again? They’d tested the systems and knew they worked, so what was her real problem?

  The word loneliness popped into her mind. That
was ridiculous, of course. She had been devastatingly lonely right after Eric had died but she’d recovered long ago. She had her farm, her animals, all the children she could handle and enough investment income from Eric’s insurance settlement to carry her through comfortably as long as she didn’t squander the principal.

  Therefore, what could be disturbing her usual peace of mind so much? Jill cast a sidelong glance at Mitch as he joined her in the truck and slid behind the wheel. Her stomach fluttered. Her heart sped. Her already warm cheeks began to burn.

  When he looked over at her and smiled, she knew exactly what was wrong with her.

  She loved him.

  Harlan offered little information other than to mention that the authorities still considered Natalie, Thad and several former Pearson employees to be “persons of interest.” Other than that, and reports of possible sightings of Megan that had not panned out, there was nothing he seemed willing to divulge.

  “What do you want to do next?” Mitch asked in disgust as they left the sheriff’s office and got back into his truck. “Want to cruise Main Street?”

  “That’s probably as good an idea as any. I have until two-thirty before I have to pick up the boys. What I’d like to do is go looking for Megan.” She frowned. “Did you get the idea that Harlan was keeping crucial details of the case to himself?”

  “I certainly wouldn’t blame him if he was. You and I are not exactly pros.”

  Bright, flashing lights behind them drew Mitch’s attention and he eased his pickup to the curb to let the emergency vehicles pass. “Looks like the cops are going somewhere in a hurry.”

  “Can we follow?” Jill asked, sounding excited.

  “No way.” The disappointment reflected in her expression made him reach for his cell phone. He could have used the two-way radio he almost always carried but doing so would have meant Jill could have overheard both sides of the conversation. Choosing to keep it more private until he knew what was going on, he said, “I’ll call dispatch and ask what’s going on. Will that satisfy you?”

  She pulled a face and gave him a lopsided smile. “Is that my only choice?”

  “Yup.”

  “Then I guess so.”

  Chuckling, Mitch pushed speed dial and was immediately connected. He identified himself to the dispatcher on duty and adopted a casual demeanor. “Hey, how’s it going, Elaine?”

  “Fine,” the young woman answered. “You can relax. No fire department calls.”

  “Funny,” Mitch drawled, “I just saw a couple of patrol cars rip past me. You sure there hasn’t been an accident up on the highway?”

  “Nah. We got another one of those false alarms about the missing girl. It won’t amount to anything. None of ’em have.”

  His hand gripped the cell phone so tightly his fingers began to throb. Schooling his features to try to hide what he’d heard, he realized the minute he looked over at Jill that he’d failed. Her eyes had widened and she was staring at him as if she’d read his innermost thoughts.

  “Oh, yeah?” Mitch said, hoping he wasn’t half as transparent in regard to the dispatcher. “Where this time? At the airport?”

  “Nope. Closer in. Remember that old plating plant out on Highway Nine? Some hikers said they thought they heard a baby crying. Ridiculous, huh?”

  “Yeah. Ridiculous,” Mitch said. “Thanks. Catch ya later.”

  Ending the call, he stuffed the phone back in his pocket, shifted into gear, whipped the wheel to the right and floored the gas pedal. Tires squealing, his truck took off with a roar.

  Jill braced herself and grabbed for his forearm. “What’s wrong? Where are we going?”

  “Just hang on and pray,” he shouted. “We can’t follow the police, but nothing says we can’t take a shortcut and get there before they do.”

  “Where? Is it Megan? Did they find Megan?”

  “All I know is they got another tip,” Mitch said, keeping his eyes on the road rather than chancing even a momentary glance at her. “There’s more than one way in and out of the suspected location. If Harlan and the others go at it from the front, there’s a slim chance the bad guys may have a chance to get away. We’re going to fix that.”

  “It is Megan. It has to be,” Jill insisted. “This is our answer to prayer.”

  Mitch hoped, with all his heart, that she was right. He figured, given their location at the time of the dispatch and his personal knowledge of the deserted site, there was a fair chance they had been granted the opportunity to take part in their own redemption.

  That mattered far less than the ultimate safety of the child, of course, but for Jill’s sake Mitch prayed that this tip was the one they’d all been waiting for.

  FIFTEEN

  Jill was glad she had her safety belt fastened because even with that much restraint in place she had to hang on in order to remain fairly stable during the wild, bumpy ride along the rural roads.

  “How much farther?”

  “Maybe half a mile.”

  “I don’t see the police or sheriff’s cars anymore. Are you sure we’re headed for the right place?”

  “Positive.” Mitch braked, slid the wheels and turned a tight corner onto a rutted, overgrown dirt trail barely wide enough for one vehicle to squeeze through.

  “Where are we?”

  “At the back entrance to the vacant factory. This access is not on any map.”

  “Then how can you be sure this is it?”

  “Because I used to play around here as a kid. I also inspected the premises for fire safety before it went out of business a year or so ago.”

  She could tell by the way his knuckles were whitening on the wheel and his jaw muscles kept clenching that Mitch was not in the mood for more conversation. That didn’t stop her from having plenty of questions. “Is this where Megan is supposed to be?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Then why are we stopping?” Jill demanded. Her hands pressed the edge of the padded dash as if she could somehow make the truck keep moving ahead by sheer willpower. “Go!”

  “All I intend to do is block this escape route so nobody gets away. Sit tight. We’ll know more soon enough.”

  “No! I’m not going to wait here while that poor little baby is in danger.” She unfastened her seat belt and reached for the door handle.

  Mitch lunged across the truck. His strong hand clasped her wrist. Held firm. “No.”

  “Yes.” Jill stared at him, refusing to back down. She could tell when he decided to capitulate. His expression told her. So did the fact that he released his hold and started to inch the truck ahead again.

  She rubbed her smarting wrist. Mitch hadn’t actually hurt her physically. Her pride was what was bruised. Nobody, not even her best friend, was going to stop her from doing all she could to rescue Megan. If Mitch thought he was going to be able to convince her otherwise, he was fooling himself.

  Jill strained to listen by leaning her head out the open window. She could hear sirens in the distance but couldn’t tell if they were actually approaching. There was too much echo, too much interference from the hills and valleys, not to mention the groves of old-growth oaks and a few sycamores and cedars that crowded in on the edges of the dirt trail.

  Her breathing was as ragged as it had been when she’d been chased through the forest behind her house. Her heart was beating rapidly, pulsing in her temples and making her head throb.

  Peering ahead she searched for something, anything, that might tell her what she desperately wanted to know.

  “Okay,” Mitch finally said, his voice so low she had to strain to hear. “This is the end of the line. I’ve brought us as close as I dare to the parking lot. If we go around that last corner up ahead we’ll be spotted for sure.”

  When he reached for her this time, his grip was more gentle. “Wait for Harlan, Jill. Don’t spoil everything by bursting in and ruining the element of surprise.”

  She knew Mitch was right. That didn’t make waiting any easier. “I want to be
there. I should be there when they bring Megan out. She’s my responsibility.”

  “We don’t know for sure that she’s even here.”

  “She is. She has to be. God wouldn’t have brought us this far if she wasn’t.”

  The look on Mitch’s face was unreadable, although it seemed to border on disappointment. How could he be so negative? Had he given up? Surely not.

  “Look, Jill,” he said quietly, “we don’t know that this is God’s plan. Just because we both want the Lord to use us to find her, that doesn’t mean He will. Or that He has.”

  “Where’s your faith?”

  Mitch tapped his chest with his free hand. “In here. I used to think that as long as I was a good Christian everything would always go my way. I found out otherwise. Bad things happen that we have no control over. You said it yourself when you were lecturing me about not blaming myself for failure.”

  “That’s different.”

  “No, it isn’t. What we personally want is less important than trying to figure out how to please the Lord. And stay out of His way.”

  She wasn’t buying Mitch’s arguments. “Phooey. God gave us brains so we’d use them, not sit around waiting for the rest of the world to wake up and fall into line.”

  Wresting her arm from his grasp she threw open the door of the truck and slid out.

  Thick weeds and brush at the edge of the road were as high as her knees. Muddy leaves slipped beneath her feet. She almost fell before she was able to regain her balance, push past the open truck door and start to follow the road ahead.

  Of course Mitch was right behind her. She was sure he wouldn’t let her go alone no matter how upset he might be. Even when he was furious with her, as he surely had to be by now, she couldn’t think of anyone else she’d rather have watching her back and protecting her from whatever menace they were about to face.

  If Jill had not been totally positive she was doing the right thing she might have hesitated, but there was no doubt she belonged here. And, grumpy or not, Mitch belonged with her. In a few more minutes, when he was forced to admit she was right, he was going to be as thrilled as she was.